Second Look - Boardgame reviews in depth. Check out that cat.After a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Ruse was released by Game Salute. I was finally able to get a copy and put the game through it’s paces.

Ruse is a murder mystery where every player is a suspect. Every turn players try to play Motives, Methods, and Opportunities on other players, while trying to play Alibis on themselves to remove one of the three accusation types from themselves. The whole game plays out with a standard deck of 52 cards that have a bit of extra information to help the game flow nicely.

ruseThe steampunk art and suits on the cards are a great touch, and the game encourages you to add a narrative to your actions to really get into the theme. It’s quick, easy to learn, and a lot of fun to play with a group of people. Excellent deck boxes are included with the game to aid in making the game a bit more portable if you wish.

Overall the production quality of the game is top notch, and the game is light and entertaining. It’s one that’s easy to pull out and play, and even the kids can enjoy it. Both my 8 year old and 7 year old had no problems picking up the rules.

The game also comes with a very well written novella, and a solitaire dice game that I haven’t had a chance to try out yet.

A copy of Ruse was provided free for review by Game Salute.